The Grattan statue at College Green, the location for Dublin's first public telephone kiosk.
Dublin’s first telephone kiosk was installed in May of 1925, next to the Henry Grattan statue on College Green. One contemporary newspaper report noted that Stockholm had in excess of 500 such public telephones at the time, so perhaps like our first escalator (which we featured here recently!) we were a bit behind once more.
The kiosks were concrete, similar to those in use in the UK at the time and were available to use at all times. The Irish Times reported that the inauguration of the scheme was due to the initiative of Mr. P Mulligan, Chief Engineer to the Post Office. “If the experiment succeeds many more kiosks will be erected in various parts of the city” the paper noted.
Prior to its opening, newspaper reports noted that the kiosk would be designed in such a way as not to become an eyesore but rather would be “built of reinforced concrete, with glazed panels, and is designed so as to present a pleasing appearance and be in harmony with the surrounding buildings.”
Dublin's first telephone kiosk, shown in The Irish Times.
By 1926, it was reported kiosks had been added to Dublin’s railway stations, and the city saw scores of public telephones dotted around it in 1932 for the Eucharistic Congress. In the October 10 1932 edition of An Irishman’s Diary it was noted that:
Among the few traces which now remain of this years Eucharistic Congress are some scores of telephone kiosks which were provided for that world event. Unfortunately, these welcome facilities seem to be concentrated in groups, while they are missing, and badly wanted, in other districts.
NLI Collection.
This NLI collection image shows phoneboxes being prepared for public use in Dublin prior to the 1932 Eucharistic Congress. The last such old fashioned phonebox to be seen in the city centre today is on Dawson Street.
Image thanks to jaycarax, of Come Here To Me fame.
Click on the book for more.
Click on the book for more.
Donal
Ciarán
Sam
Come Here To Me! 
Any idea DF where that is that the workmen are installing the phone boxes in the last photo?
Check this out FXR, bit of a discussion on the topic:
Thanks DF. No one on there seems to have any idea. In the photo the street is rising if you look from right to left. That may possibly the street is at a right angle to the river Liffey. The maddening thing is the back ground looks so familiar.
At the Old Ballast Offices I think.
Thanks Paul. You might be right looking at the photo of the Ballast office but the sharp rise in the ground still looks a bit suspicious. I’ll have a look at the Ballast office today. In the photo of the workmen installing the boxes the shadow seem to fall from right to left.
Somewhere in the back of my head is the recollection that the Dawson Street box is either a reproduction or one moved there on some anniversary of something… Cannot remember….
Looks a bit like shopfront of former Irish Times Buildings.. except for railing. A bit of a puzzler.
Definitely old Ballast Offices http://merchantsarch.ie/media-gallery/detail/77/120
I remember the repro box being installed in Dawson St. in the mid eighties. It may have been to mark the formation of Telecom Eireann. Either way it’s not an original. It’s a nice curio though and some day may be the last Dublin phonebox.
Ahha…. sometimes the back of my mind doesnt let me down…
I believe it is original. It used to be across the bridge from Heuston Station, but it was moved to Dawson St.
I think the box in Dawson street is a K1.
http://www.cvphm.org/TelephoneKiosks.html
Yes the box on Dawson Street is an original 1920s model. It was expertly repaired by concrete restorers about ten years ago, who noted it is a rare example of exquisitely cast, thin sheafs of reinforced concrete. A beautifully made thing. The only thing that is non-original is the location. It was moved to Dawson Street some time in the late 20th century.
Does anyone know who these concrete restorers were who restored the box on Dawson Street?
It was civil engineer, Bill Fleeton’s, concrete repair company. I don’t know the name of the firm, alas.
Fleeton Watson.!
Baldoyle Ind Est.
Hope that helps, I worked for them in the 1990’s grat company , gentlemen to work for John Watson and Bill Fleeton.
Fleeton Watson , baldoyle ind est.
Two gentlemen to work for , John Watson & Bill Fleeton.
Hi, I am looking at this K1 phone box for my masters at the moment. Does anyone know when the box was moved to Dawson street and from where?
Also any information of where else in the city they were located or any information at all on the K1 would be great!
The newspapers on the day of opening at Grattan Statue, (May 1925) only have a photograph, and nothing written about the reaction of the public to the phone box….would be great to know what people made of it!!
When did homes in dublin get a phone thanks
Cynthia